# From Casual to Causal: Proving In-Store Works — Liz Roche, Albertsons

**S3 E3 · Jan 26, 2026 · 30 min**

Why ad plays aren't enough, and what it takes to move from pilot programs to network scale.

### Show notes

In this episode of The Middlemen Podcast, we sit down with Liz Roche from Albertsons Media Collective to talk about what it actually takes to scale in-store retail media.

Albertsons isn’t just testing screens in a handful of locations — they’re building the measurement, infrastructure, and operating model required to move from pilot programs to real network scale.

This conversation is less about hype and more about accountability — and what brands should actually look for as in-store retail media matures.

#### What we cover

- Why “ad plays” aren’t enough to prove in-store performance
- How validated impressions and foot-traffic signals change how media is trafficked
- What it means to move from casual measurement to causal outcomes
- Why in-store media only works when it’s tightly connected to merchandising

#### Links from the episode

[Liz Roche on LinkedIn ↗](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eroche1/)